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The other day I decided I wanted to try my hand at making bagels. They turned out amazingly delicious, and everyone loved them! Here are the steps to making bagels:

First put in a batch of bagel dough into your bread machine or make up a batch and set it to rise. I just used the bagel recipe out of the book that came with our machine.

This is the recipe I used:

1 cup of water

1 tsp of lemon juice

1 tsp of salt

1 1/2 tbl of sugar

3 cups of bread flour

2 1/4 tsp of yeast

This recipe makes 6 bagels. I doubled it for about 12 bagels. Put the ingredients in the bread pan as listed. If you don’t have a machine, mix the ingredients together and set it aside to rise.

Once the bread looks like this, you are ready to create your bagels.

Now, turn the oven to 400 degrees F. Then, split the dough into balls. For a single recipe, you should have 6 balls of dough, for the double, 12 balls of dough.

In the center of each ball, create a hole 1-2 inches wide. Flatten them down, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel, and let them rise for about 10-15 minutes, or until your bagels are nice and fluffy. Put a 3 quart pot of water on the stove, and bring to a boil.

Bagels before Rising:

Bagels after rising:

Now, a couple of bagels at a time, drop them into the pot of boiling water. Let boil for 3 minutes, turning them once, so each side boils for about a 1 1/2 minutes. Then, remove from water and place on greased cookie sheet. Do this with all the bagels. Once out of the water, brush the bagels with one beaten egg so that they are shiny. If you are going to add a topping, such as cinnamon sugar, chocolate chips, onions, etc, place the topping on the bagels after brushing with the egg.

My chocolate chip bagels are egg brushed and ready to go:

Place bagels into the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

These bagels are perfect!

Let cool, then either eat them or save them for another day. These bagels didn’t last long in my house! 🙂 Enjoy!

Tonight is the Virtual Letter Writing Night. On the second Friday of every month, Compassion sponsors can remember to write letters to their children. There is a group on ourcompassion.org and a new theme is introduced each month to write letters to our children. Today’s theme: a goal you have accomplished. June suggests on her page to write about a goal that has been accomplished, how you accomplished this goal, what you felt once you achieved it, etc. Thanks June for putting up such a great group!

Where can you see artifacts of grisly torture and interesting methods of punishment amidst quaint cobbled streets and ancient walls? Why, Rothenburg op de Tauber, where they have a neat and instructional Medieval Crime and Punishment museum!

What Is It: This museum will show you forms of medieval torture, punishment, lawmaking, and some of the world’s first folding chairs! As you wander its dank and dark tunnels and emerge in the light and airy atrium, you will have the opportunity to learn and explore how people were punished hundreds of years ago. Some of the exhibits are almost humorous, such as the grotesque metal masks, but also sobering, like the whips and executioners block. Regardless, this museum cannot be missed on your next trip to Rothenburg!

Favorite Memory: One of my favorite exhibits was the one that showed how prisoners would sit on the ground and goats would come by and lick their feet. It would tickle so badly, they could not stop laughing. That was their form of punishment. I know a few people who would not mind that punishment….

$38 a month. While this might seem like a lot, it really goes fast. Consider this:

$38 a month is: two Starbucks coffees a week, or maybe going out to lunch once a week. Or, it could be those Diet Cokes you pick up at the gas station a few times a week(those really add up fast!)

Think about it. $38 dollars a month is really not that much. It is a few dollars a week. And instead of buying a coffee at Starbucks why don’t you consider rescuing a child out of poverty? $38 a month through Compassion International can save a child, feed them, provide them with medical services, and teach them about Jesus. That sounds like a better deal than a cup of coffee or a cheeseburger!

Think about it. Pray about it. Child sponsorship will open up a whole new world of communication between you and a child in need. If you decided to sponsor, check out Compassion International at compassion.com. And let me know of your decision, because I want to hear about your journey! Thank you for being Jesus to those precious little children.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

Buying textbooks is almost as bad(and as painful!) as being stung by a jellyfish. Having been stung by a jellyfish, I know the pain. And yes, it hurts as much as your wallet does by buying college textbooks. However, there is this awesome thing called The Amazon Marketplace. I just bought a $180 textbook for $20! Another one of my textbooks is $80 at the bookstore, and I am getting it for 19 cents. Yes, 19 CENTS! What is even better is you can then sell your books back to Amazon, and often make money on them. I can buy a book for a few dollars and then sell it again for more than it costs. Now, you are no longer losing money with textbooks, but making money! Seriously, make sure to check it out. And never buy a textbook from the bookstore ever again! 🙂

What Is It: A museum designed specifically for children, but enjoyable to kids of all ages. Exhibits are aimed at instructing, educating, and entertaining the young and the young at heart. Current exhibits include Take Me There: Egypt, Dora and Diego Lets Explore, Barbie The Fashion Experience, and much more. Also, a beautiful carousal and an amazing glass sculpture await you at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum.

Favorite Memory: While at the museum, I had the opportunity to learn about kids who impacted history. One that stood out in my mind was Ryan White, the first child to attend school with AIDS, and Anne Frank. Both of these youngsters made a difference in the lives of others, and both met untimely deaths. It was encouraging to realize that at any age, you can be a difference in the lives of others.

Money Saving Tip: Attend the free days! The first Thursday of every month is family free night. But, you don’t have to be a family or have little children to attend. Yes it is busy, and yes it is geared toward children, but the whole museum is still open for your pleasure.